David Dimbleby named as inaugural Country Life gentleman of the year, as
editor says having a tattoo is no longer a barrier to being a gentleman

The key to being a modern gentleman is to have a tattoo, according to Country Life magazine as they suggest the trend for body art is aping a tradition that was prevalent in British high socity in the 19th century.

The magazine has named David Dimbleby and David Beckham, who both have tattoos, at the top of their inaugural Gentleman of the Year competition.

Dimbleby, who had a scorpion tattooed on his shoulder at the age of 75, was named the number one British gentleman, swiftly followed by the much-decorated footballer Beckham.

Their position is said to be a return to the tastes of the late 19th century, when some gentleman exhibited exotic tattoos from Japanese artists before they fell out of fashion in the later 1900s.

Hailing both Dimbleby and Beckham as true gentleman, the editor of Country Life argued having a tattoo had long been a mark of being a gentleman.

“This list is interesting as much for who has not made it as well as those who were chosen from the hundreds of entries from the public," he added.

“No one from the Government or the Opposition made the selection, for example. Even though we received nominations, we decided to not include members of the Royal Family as they have their own exacting set of protocols.

“Our gentlemen’s achievements range from mentoring young singers to performing impromptu amputations in a toolshed. But what they all have in common is the fact that they’re at ease in any situation, and put others at their ease, too.”

David Dimbleby, the veteran broadcaster, has now been announced as the number one gentleman of the year by the magazine, in a top five which also features Sir David Attenborough and David Miliband.

Judges including author Jilly Cooper found he "raises the tone of any event he's affiliated with", serving to "hold the nation steady when the waters get choppy".

Sir David Attenborough, in third place, was thought to be "dazzlingly clever with a huge sense of fun", while David Miliband in fifth commended for resisting the temptation to "smirk" at his brother's political career.

Jim Carter, the actor who plays butler Carson in Downton Abbey, was named in fourth place, for his “quiet dignity” and patience in the face of “being chased down the street by squealing devotees” of the period drama.

Sir Bradley Wiggins, the Olympic medal-winning cyclist, Paul O’Grady, the television presenter, Mo Farah, the athlete, Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, and Rory Stewart MP make up the list of top ten gentleman.

They are followed by Grayson Perry, the cross-dressing artist, at number 11, actor Benedict Cumberbatch at number 12, and Sir Ranulph Fiennes, the explorer, at 13 for “never making a fuss” despite losing his fingers to frostbite.

Evan Davis, the journalist, was named at number 14 for being a “model of courtesy” who is “never combative for the sake of it” while eventer William Fox-Pitt makes it to number 15 for being “kind to old ladies”.

Michael Palin, the comedian, is at 16 for being “quite simply the nicest man in showbiz”, followed by National Theatre artistic director Sir Nicholas Hytner, footballer Steven Gerrard, and the “tireless” Earl of March.

Dan Snow, the historian and broadcaster, comes in at number 20, with The Voice judge and Kaiser Chiefs singer Ricky Wilson in the final spot at 21.